Social changes cannot be made by law

In today's newspaper, an article showing a survey results was published. The article said that '54% of the women feel it is ok for husband to beat women', slapping was the most common abuse, abuse of women was also linked with education and so on. The coordinator who had conducted the survey said that 'this is truly shocking'. The paper mentioned that law is not enough to curb such domestic violence, and in the same breath, asked for concerted effort to convey the message that 'wife beating is unacceptable'.

This is what happens when someone tries to prescribe 'actions' by remaining outside the system. For instance, Mumbaites find it absolutely shocking that Delhi autos do not ply according to the meter and commuter requests and ask for 'concerted legal' effort to toe the auto drivers in line. Coincidentally, HC is asking Delhi Government what legal action is being taken to curb the rising accidents of Blue Line buses. And it asked for Government to explain 'how 9 offences were booked on the Blue Line buses when 96 people were killed last year'. As though, booking of more offences is going to curb the Blueline accidents.

It is most shocking to observe that 'Blueline exit' is being drafted to curb the 'blue line accidents'. As though substitution of Blueline buses with another government plying buses will solve the problem of accidents. This is the same belief that makes American Government believe that it can control terrorism by catching or killing terrorists. I wish the social system were like machine where one component's replacement can solve the problem.

Law or force is not enough to change social customs and crimes. Man surprisingly is still caught in this cause-effect syndrome of Newtonian's thinking which makes it easy to understand and remove the cause. We have still not understood that Einstein's law discovered in 1919 is governing social systems because everything is related to each other in a social system. Only after understanding this can one understand, why after years of anti-dowry law, dowry deaths occur even in the most affluent of the communities in India.

Deming took 45 years to convince American auto industry that its 'method of manufacturing automobiles' is not appropriate. And that too when business is governed by economic principles. And even after understanding it, American auto industry cannot replicate the method because it is so alien to their 'culture' of individualism. So what makes us think that one can prescribe actions without understanding the 'system'? Are we being naive or foolish?

Is vigilantism threat or opportunity?

After a series of incidents, especially in Bihar, vigilantism has come to the forefront. It is the word meant to signify 'active involvement of the society in taking actions against the social offenders'.

A paper carried an article about the mob in a village lynching 10 robbers after they were caught in the act. A news channel showed a robber being chained to a motor bike of a police officer and being dragged in another village. An article in the newspaper blamed that if the police do not quickly intervene and punish the 'mob', this vigilantism may become a menace that can devour the social fabric.

Prakash Jha's movie named Gangajal also brought out the effect of this unchecked vigilantism very starkly. And it also brought out the dilemma of a hero who unknowingly triggers the social action and finds himself helpless when the people go berserk.

Now view this from a different lens. A police force is effective only if it completely absorbs the 'variety' created by the dysfunctional elements in social system. For every citizen, one police is adequate variety, but not affordable. So police enhance their variety, by tracking 'criminal elements' and 'near-criminal elements'. Western police system relies extensively on documented systems, while Indian police system uses informal social network. In India, this works because of the Indian social system. What this means is that police uses the 'people' to catch offenders.

Vigilantism is extreme manifestation of society where people met out justice because the police system has lost their credibility. On the other hand, Police system uses the social system to catch the offenders. If you put 2+2 together, you will realise that police can use 'social activism' effectively, if they change their policing norms and beliefs. They will be able to channelise the energy of social system effectively. But this also means that they will have to relinquish the power which they are enjoying due to their position.

Is the policing system ready? And, equally important, is the society ready for taking up the relinquished 'power and associated responsibility'?